The food that will keep you lean and reduce cardiovascular risk

It does not matter how much you eat of it, you will not gain weight from it. The more you eat of it, the more your cardiovascular disease risk will go down.

What kind of super food could that be? You might have guessed it, it is vegetables.

We all have heard that vegetables are good for us. This is exactly what a large recent study involving 13,355 men and 15,724 women living in Japan documented (Nakamura K, et al, 2008). It showed that the highest quartile of vegetables intake for women was associated with a 38% reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease compared with the lowest quartile intake.

Eat at least one salad a day and of course you could even have two. When you eat something hot include some steamed or stir-fried vegetables.

If you add beans or lentils to a salad it will be a really low glycemic index meal that will give you prolonged energy.

References:

Nakamura K, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality from cardiovascular disease are inversely associated in Japanese women but not in men. J Nutr. 2008 Jun;138(6):1129-34.

Low HDL cholesterol associated with poor memory

HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol which protects against harmful buildup in the arteries. It is considered good to have high HDL since it can provide some protection against cardiovascular disease.

It is interesting that low levels of HDL have now been found to also be associated with poor memory (Sigh-Manoux A, et al, 2008.) The study referred to here included 3673 male and female participants with an average age between 55-61 years. When the memory was evaluated, it was documented that a decrease in HDL over the five year follow up period was associated with a decline in memory.

This is another good reason for keeping your HDL level high. You can increase your HDL cholesterol by incorporating low glycemic index meals, avoiding trans fat and including omega 3, fat like fish oil in your diet, and also by exercising regularly.

Singh-Manoux A, et al. Low HDL cholesterol is a risk factor for deficit and decline in memory in midlife: the Whitehall II study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Aug;28(8):1556-62. Epub 2008 Jun 30.